Improvement in railway-car brakes



L. ADAMS.

Railway Girar.Brakes.`

N0. 144,013. Patented 0ct.28,`1873.

i l ff Inventur:

UNITED STATES APrrrnlv'r rrrcn I LUTHER ADAMS, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-CAR BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,013, dated October 28, 1673 application led July l2, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LUTHER ADAMS, of Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State' of Illinois, have invented a neur and useful Improvement in Gar-Brakes, of which the folL lowing is a specification:

The invention relates to apparatus for stopping or retarding the speed of railroad-cars; and consists iu the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter de scribed, and specically indicated in the claims.

.-In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 2, taken on the line a0 x. Fig. 2 is a bottom side plan view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The platform A, Wheels B, axles C, and brakes D of the car are constructed after the ordinary plan 5 and, as has been heretofore done, I make a friction disk or Wheel, E, having a notch, N, the chief medium for bringing the brake mechanism into action. This disk is mounted on journals in the bifurcated end of a plate, F, which is hinged to the cross bar or timber G. A spring, H, is attached to the forward end of said plate, and has a hole in its free end to receive the rod J, which forms the short arm ofthe bent lever M. This last extends above the platform, and is pivoted thereto so as to be easily accessible for use as the chief brake-operating device. A spring, K, is also attached to the plate F at one end, and it rests at the other end on a stirrup, L. The disk E is held up out, of contact With the axle C by means of the spring K. Vhen it is desired to apply the brakes, the lever M is operated to depress the springplate H, and thus bring the disk E to come in frictional contact With the axle C, Which causes it to revolve one-half a revolution, or until the axle enters the groove N, When the disk will remain locked until the pressure on spring H is relieved. This movement of the disk upon its axis applies the brakes, since it Windsup the chain P, Which is secured in a circumferentialgroove of said disk, and extends back and Connects with one end of a bar, Q, that It will be seen that While the friction-Wheel E is revolving the half-revolution the chain is Winding up in the groove of the wheel, and the brakes are being applied, the lever M being operated by hand with a side guide and pin, by means of which the latter may be retained in any desired position.

The action of thefriction-Wheel is made automatic by means of the adjustable springbar S. This bar is confined in a case, T, which contains spiral springs U and V. Wis an angular plate, through Which the bar S passes and carries when it moves longitudinally. X is a V- shaped block of metal attached to the end ofthe plate W. Y is a block, which ispivoted to the stirrup L. Z is a lug on this block, which the V strikes when the bar is pushed back. The

back end of the pivoted block Y is provided l With a friction-roll, and when the V strikes the lug Z theI roll is pressed onto the spring H, which presses the friction-Wheel lll) onto the axle, and produces the effect before described.

The bar S is pushed inward, and the brakes are thus automatically applied by the bumper of the opposite car. Thus, the brakes maybe simultaneously applied to all the cars in case of a collision or break-down, or in case the motion of the locomotive is retarded. The

bar S is adjusted longitudinally, so that this` automatic action cannot take place except When desired by means of the band-Wheel a, shaft b, the bevel-Wheels c el, and a finger, e, the latter being attached to the bar. The bar is grooved, and is revolved by means of a feather through the bevel- Wheel d, which feather Works in the groove. As the bar revolves the iin ger e Works in the convolutions of the spring a, as in a screw-thread, and carries back the bar so that the opposite bumper will not strike it.

The brake is thus operated automatically or by hand, as may be desired, and the arrangement is such that one operation does not interfere With the other, and both may be in operation at the same time, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim slidingbair or bumper S, substantially as shown as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, with the brake-chain, of at notched friction-disk, E, spring-platte H F, lever M, and spring K, having a stirrup or bearing-point, L, substantially als shown and described.

2. The. Combination, with the disk E and' springs H K, of the pivoted block Y, having lng Z, the plate W carrying block X, and the and described. *Y

3. The combination of the hand-Wheel a, bevel-gears c d, feathered bar S, finger e, and spiral spring W V, as and for the purpose specied.

LUTHER ADAMS.

Vitnesses g J. F. HUGHES, C. B. STEELE. 

